Pradeeprajput: Islamic statement of faith

2023-09-24T19:21:26Z

Islamic statement of faith

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{{Short description|Islamic statement of faith}}
{{About|the Islamic creed|other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Shaheed}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Italic title}}
[[File:Sahadah-Topkapi-Palace.jpg|thumb|The Testimony of Faith inscribed as calligraphy on top of the ''Babussalam'' gate of the [[Topkapı Palace]], [[Istanbul]], Turkey]]

The '''''Shahada''''' ([[Arabic]]: الشَّهَادَةُ {{transliteration|ar|DIN|aš-šahādatu}} {{IPA-ar|aʃʃahaːdatʊ||as-shahadah.ogg}}, "the testimony"),{{refn|group=note|{{transliteration|ar|DIN|aš-šahādatāni}} ({{lang|ar|الشَّهَادَتَانِ}}, "the two testimonials"); also {{transliteration|ar|DIN|Kalimatu š-šahādati}} ({{lang|ar|كَلِمَةُ ٱلشَّهَادَةِ}}, "the testimonial word")}} also transliterated as '''''Shahadah''''', is an [[Islam]]ic [[oath]] and [[creed]], and one of the [[Five Pillars of Islam]] and part of the [[Adhan]]. It reads: "I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that [[Muhammad]] is the Messenger of God."

The Shahada declares belief in the oneness ({{transliteration|ar|[[tawhid]]}}) of [[God in Islam|God]] and the acceptance of [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]] as God's [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|messenger]]. Some [[Shia Islam|Shias]] also include a statement of belief in the {{transliteration|ar|[[Wali|wilayat]]}} of [[Ali]].<ref name="The Later Mughals' p. 130">''The Later Mughals'' by [[William Irvine (historian)|William Irvine]] p. 130</ref> A single honest recitation of the Shahada is all that is required for [[Religious conversion#Islam|a person to become a Muslim]] according to most traditional schools.<ref>{{cite book |title=Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World |year=2011 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |isbn=9780761479291 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Zp_5IydPGgC&q=shahada+a+person+to+become+a+Muslim+sunni+shia&pg=PA38}}</ref>
{{Islam|practices}}

== The testimonies ==
The [[Declaration of faith|declaration]] reads:<ref name="Ruthven2004">{{cite book|author=Malise Ruthven|title=Historical Atlas of Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wT1xGHPyMA8C&pg=PA14|date=January 2004|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-01385-8|page=14|access-date=12 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925052609/https://books.google.com/books?id=wT1xGHPyMA8C&pg=PA14|archive-date=25 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Martín">{{cite book|author=Richard C. Martín|title=Encyclopedia of Islam & the Muslim World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xL9YAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA723|publisher=Granite Hill Publishers|isbn=978-0-02-865603-8|page=723}}</ref><ref name="Denny2006">{{cite book|author=Frederick Mathewson Denny|title=An Introduction to Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yU3uAAAAMAAJ&q=%22There+is+no+deity+but+God,+Muhammad+is+the+Messenger+of+God.%22+Shahada|year=2006|publisher=Pearson Prentice Hall|isbn=978-0-13-183563-4|page=409|access-date=11 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805215947/https://books.google.com/books?id=yU3uAAAAMAAJ&q=%22There+is+no+deity+but+God,+Muhammad+is+the+Messenger+of+God.%22+Shahada&dq=%22There+is+no+deity+but+God,+Muhammad+is+the+Messenger+of+God.%22+Shahada&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1LqzVLSHIoqtU6TNgKAB&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBjgU|archive-date=5 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last =Mohammad | first =Noor| title =The Doctrine of Jihad: An Introduction| journal = Journal of Law and Religion| volume =3 | issue = 2| pages =381–397 | date =1985 | jstor = 1051182| doi =10.2307/1051182 | s2cid =159793899}}</ref>

:{{lang|ar|{{large|أشْهَدُ أنْ لا الهَ الاّ الله}}}}
:{{transliteration|ar|DIN|<nowiki>ašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāh</nowiki>}}
::{{IPA-ar|laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.laː‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu|IPA}}
:"I testify There is no [[Ilah|deity]] but [[God in Islam|God]]."

: {{lang|ar|{{large|أشْهَدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللّه}}}}
:{{transliteration|ar|DIN|ašhadu ʾanna muḥammadan rasūlu -llāh}}
::{{IPA-ar|ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na mu.ħam.ma.dan ra.suː.lu‿ɫ.ɫah|IPA}}
:"I testify [[Muhammad]] is the [[Rasūl|Messenger]] of God."
In [[Shia Islam]]:

:{{lang|ar|{{large|أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلیَّاً وَلّی الله}}}}
:{{transliteration|ar|DIN|ašhadu ʾanna ʿaliyyan waliyyu -llah}}
::{{IPA-ar|ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na ʕalijːan walijːu‿ɫ.ɫah|IPA}}
:"I testify [[Ali]] is the Wali (vicegerent) of God."

The above statements are commonly prefaced by the full form:

: {{lang|ar|{{large|أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ}}}}
:{{transliteration|ar|DIN|ašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāhu, wa-ʾašhadu ʾanna muḥammadan rasūlu -llāh}}
::{{IPA-ar|ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.laː‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu wa.ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na mu.ħam.ma.dan ra.suː.lu‿ɫ.ɫah|IPA}}
::
In [[Shia Islam]]:

:{{lang|ar|{{large|أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلیَّاً وَلّی الله}}}}
:{{transliteration|ar|DIN|ašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾilla -llāhu, wa-ʾašhadu ʾanna muḥammadan rasūlu -llāh, wa-ʾašhadu ʾanna ʿaliyyan waliyyu -llah}}
::{{IPA-ar|ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.la‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu wa.ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na mu.ħam.ma.dan ra.suː.lu‿ɫ.ɫah wa.ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na ʕalijːan walijːu‿ɫ.ɫah|IPA}}
:"I testify that there is no deity but God, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and I testify that Ali is the wali (vicegerent) of God."

== Terminology and significance ==
In the English translation – "There is no deity but God. Muhammad is the Messenger of God." – the first, lower-case occurrence of "god" or "deity" is a translation of the Arabic word {{transliteration|ar|[[ilah]]}}, while the capitalized second and third occurrences of "God" are translations of the Arabic word ''[[Allah]]'', meaning "the God".

The noun {{transliteration|ar|šahādah}} ({{lang|ar|شَهَادَة}}), from the verb {{transliteration|ar|šahida}} ({{IPA-ar|ʃa.hi.da|}} {{lang|ar|شَهِدَ}}), from the root {{transliteration|ar|š-h-d}} ({{lang|ar|ش-ه-د}}) meaning "to observe, witness, testify", translates as "testimony" in both the everyday and the legal senses.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wehr|first=Hans|author2=J. Milton Cowan|title=A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic|url=https://archive.org/details/Dict_Wehr.pdf|year=1976|pages=488–489|access-date=26 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221083021/https://archive.org/details/Dict_Wehr.pdf|archive-date=21 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The related noun {{transliteration|ar|[[Shahid|šahīd]]}} ({{IPA-ar|ʃaˈhiːd|}}
{{lang|ar|شَهِيد}}), which is used in the Quran mainly in the sense "witness", has paralleled in its development the Greek {{transliteration|grc|martys}} ({{lang|grc|μάρτυς}}) in that it may mean both "witness" and "martyr".<ref>David Cook, ''Martyrdom (Shahada)'' [http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195390155/obo-9780195390155-0124.xml Oxford Bibliographies] {{dead link|date=July 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. {{isbn|9780195390155}}.</ref><ref name="Encycle">''The Encyclopaedia of Islam'', Volume IX, Klijkebrille, 1997, p. 201.</ref> Similarly, {{transliteration|ar|šahāda}} may also mean "martyrdom" although in modern Arabic the more commonly used word for "martyrdom" is another derivative of the same root, {{transliteration|ar|[[w:Istishhad|istišhād]]}} ({{lang|ar|ٱسْتِشْهَاد}}).<ref>{{cite book|author=John Wortabet|author2=Harvey Porter|title=English-Arabic and Arabic-English Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fju5UH9dO3YC&pg=PA238|date=1 September 2003|publisher=Asian Educational Services|page=238|isbn=9788120617681|access-date=26 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429014317/https://books.google.com/books?id=Fju5UH9dO3YC&pg=PA238|archive-date=29 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>}} The Islamic creed is also called, in the [[dual (grammatical number)|dual]] form, {{transliteration|ar|šahādatān}} ({{lang|ar|شَهَادَتَان}}, literally "two testimonies"). The expression {{transliteration|ar|al-šahīd}} ({{lang|ar|ٱلْشَّهِيد}}, "the Witness") is used in the [[Quran]] as one of the "[[Names of God in Islam|titles of God]]".{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=8}}

In [[Sunni Islam]], the ''Shahada'' has two parts: {{transliteration|ar|'lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāh'}} ("There is no deity except [[God in Islam|God]]"), and {{transliteration|ar|'muḥammadun rasūlu llāh'}} ("[[Muhammad]] is the Messenger of God"),{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=140–141}} which are sometimes referred to as the first ''Shahada'' and the second ''Shahada''.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=9}} The first statement of the ''Shahada'' is also known as the {{transliteration|ar|[[tahlil|tahlīl]]}}.<ref>{{cite book|author=Michael Anthony Sells|title=Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYCFTVDDKmkC|year=1999|publisher=White Cloud Press|page=151|isbn=9781883991265}}</ref>

In [[Shia Islam]], the ''Shahada'' also has a third part, a phrase concerning [[Ali]], the first [[Imamah (Shia doctrine)|Shia imam]] and the fourth [[Rashidun|Rashidun caliph]] of [[Sunni Islam]]: {{lang|ar|وَعَلِيٌّ وَلِيُّ ٱللَّٰهِ}} ({{transliteration|ar|DIN|wa ʿaliyyun waliyyu llāh}} {{IPA-ar|wa.ʕa.lijːun wa.lijːu‿ɫ.ɫaː.h|}}), which translates to "Ali is the {{transliteration|ar|[[wali]]}} of God".<ref name="The Later Mughals' p. 130"/>

In the [[Quran]], the first statement of the ''Shahadah'' takes the form ''lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh'' twice ([[Q37:35|37:35]], [[Q47:19|47:19]]), and ''ʾallāhu lā ʾilāha ʾillā huwa'' (God, there is no deity but Him) much more often.<ref name="Nasr110">Nasr et al (2015). ''[[The Study Quran]]''. HarperOne. p. 110. (Footnote 255)</ref> It appears in the shorter form ''lā ʾilāha ʾillā huwa'' (There is no deity but Him) in many places.<ref name="Nasr1356">Nasr et al (2015). ''The Study Quran''. HarperOne. p. 1356. (Footnote 22)</ref> It appears in these forms about 30 times in the Quran, and never attached with the other parts of the ''Shahada'' in Sunni or Shia Islam or "in conjunction with another name".<ref name="Yuksel318">[[Edip Yuksel]], et al (2007). ''Quran: A Reformist Translation''. Brainbrow Press. Footnote 3:18.</ref>

Islam's monotheistic nature is reflected in the first sentence of the ''Shahada'', which declares belief in the oneness of God and that he is the only entity truly worthy of worship.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=9}} The second sentence of the ''Shahada'' indicates the means by which God has offered guidance to human beings.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=10}} The verse reminds Muslims that they accept not only the prophecy of Muhammad but also the long line of prophets who preceded him.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=10}} While the first part is seen as a cosmic truth, the second is specific to Islam, as it is understood that members of the older [[Abrahamic religions]] do not view Muhammad as one of their prophets.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=10}}

The ''Shahada'' is a statement of both ritual and worship. In a well-known [[Hadith of Gabriel|hadith]], Muhammad defines Islam as witnessing that there is no deity but God and that Muhammad is God's Messenger, giving of alms (''[[zakat]]''), performing the [[Salah|ritual prayer]], [[fasting in Islam|fasting]] during the month of [[Ramadan]], and making a [[hajj|pilgrimage]] to the [[Kaaba]]: the [[Five Pillars of Islam]] are inherent in this declaration of faith.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=9}}{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=149}}

== Recitation ==
{{Aqidah|Five Pillars}}
Recitation of the Shahadah is the most common [[statement of faith]] for Muslims. Sunnis,{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=8}} Shia [[Twelver]]s, as well as [[Isma'ilism|Isma'ili]]s<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al-islam.org/reflectionsnewmuslim/8.htm |title=Seeking the Straight Path: Reflections of a New Muslim |access-date=9 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716033840/http://www.al-islam.org/reflectionsnewmuslim/8.htm |archive-date=16 July 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> consider it as one of the [[Five Pillars of Islam]]. It is whispered by the father into the ear of a newborn child,{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=8}} and it is whispered into the ear of a dying person.<ref>{{cite book|author=Azim Nanji|title=The Penguin Dictionary of Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XBLv1MmmOxkC&pg=PT101|year=2008|publisher=Penguin UK|page=101|isbn=9780141920863|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423050956/https://books.google.com/books?id=XBLv1MmmOxkC&pg=PT101|archive-date=23 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The five canonical daily prayers each include a recitation of the Shahada.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=10}} Recitation of the Shahada is also the only formal step in [[conversion to Islam]].{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=8}} This occasion often attracts witnesses and sometimes includes a celebration to welcome the converts into their new faith.{{sfn|Cornell|2007|p=9}} In accordance with the central importance played by the notion of intention ({{lang-ar|نِيَّة|link=no}}, ''[[niyyah]]'') in Islamic doctrine, the recitation of the Shahada must reflect understanding of its import and heartfelt sincerity.<ref name="Rippin">{{cite book|author=Andrew Rippin|title=Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1KTX7M-Mr-YC&pg=PA104|year=2005|publisher=Psychology Press|pages=104–105|isbn=9780415348881|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422235146/https://books.google.com/books?id=1KTX7M-Mr-YC&pg=PA104|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Goldziher">{{cite book|author=Ignác Goldziher|title=Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zeStDQZOSgC&pg=PA18|year=1981|publisher=Princeton University Press|pages=18–19|isbn=0691100993|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422235321/https://books.google.com/books?id=6zeStDQZOSgC&pg=PA18|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Intention is what differentiates acts of devotion from mundane acts and a simple reading of the Shahada from invoking it as a ritual activity.<ref name="Rippin"/><ref name="Goldziher"/>

== Origin ==
Though the two statements of the Shahada are both present in the Quran (for instance, [[Q37:35|37:35]] and [[Q48:29|48:29]]), they are not found there side by side as in the Shahada formula,{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=140–141}} but are present in the Hadiths.<ref>Sahih al-Bukhari 8</ref><ref>Sahih Muslim 8a</ref><ref>Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2609</ref><ref>Sahih Muslim 16c</ref> Versions of both phrases began to appear in coins and monumental architecture in the late seventh century, which suggests that it had not been officially established as a ritual statement of faith until then.{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=140–141}} An inscription in the [[Dome of the Rock]] (est. 692) in [[Jerusalem]] reads: "There is no deity but God alone; He has no partner with him; Muhammad is the Messenger of God".{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=140–141}} Another variant appears in coins minted after the reign of [[Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan]], the fifth [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad caliph]]: "Muhammad is the Servant of God and His messenger".{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=140–141}} Although it is not clear when the Shahada first came into common use among Muslims, it is clear that the sentiments it expresses were part of the Quran and Islamic doctrine from the earliest period.{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=140–141}}

== In Sufism ==

The Shahada has been traditionally recited in the [[Sufism|Sufi]] ceremony of ''[[dhikr]]'' ({{lang-ar|ذِکْر|link=no}}, "[[:wikt:ذكر#Noun|remembrance]]"), a ritual that resembles mantras found in many other religious traditions.<ref name="Netton">{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of Islam|author=Ian Richard Netton|date=19 December 2013|page=143|isbn=9781135179601|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bYtmAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA143|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422225241/https://books.google.com/books?id=bYtmAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA143|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> During the ceremony, the ''Shahada'' may be repeated thousands of times, sometimes in the shortened form of the first phrase where the word 'Allah' ("God") is replaced by 'huwa' ("Him").<ref name="Netton"/> The chanting of the Shahada sometimes provides a rhythmic background for singing.<ref>{{cite book|title=Among the Jasmine Trees: Music and Modernity in Contemporary Syria|author=Jonathan Holt Shannon|publisher=Wesleyan University Press|year=2006|pages=110–111|isbn=9780819567987|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=018rXo5ieDcC&pg=PA110|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422234900/https://books.google.com/books?id=018rXo5ieDcC&pg=PA110|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

== In architecture and art ==

The Shahada appears as an architectural element in Islamic buildings around the world, such as those in [[Jerusalem]], [[Cairo]], and [[Istanbul]].{{sfn|Lindsay|2005|p=140–141}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction|author=Doris Behrens-Abouseif|publisher=Brill|year=1989|page=54|isbn=9004096264|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=INsmT6zjAl8C&pg=PA54|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422235344/https://books.google.com/books?id=INsmT6zjAl8C&pg=PA54|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture|editor=Oleg Grabar |publisher=Brill|year=1985|page=110|isbn=9004076115|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xu_L_FJRvUIC&pg=PA110|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422212417/https://books.google.com/books?id=Xu_L_FJRvUIC&pg=PA110|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Late-medieval]] and [[Renaissance]] European art displays a fascination with Middle Eastern motifs in general and the Arabic script in particular, as indicated by its use, without concern for its content, in painting, architecture and book illustrations.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Renaissance and the Ottoman World|author=Eva Baer|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|year=2013|pages=41–43|isbn=9781472409911|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eqaV2Xtf7KcC&pg=PA41|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422225104/https://books.google.com/books?id=eqaV2Xtf7KcC&pg=PA41|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Contadini">{{cite book |title=Ayyubid Metalwork With Christian Images|author=Anna Contadini, Claire Norton|publisher=Brill|year=1989 |page=47|isbn=9004089624|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IZ7ZIpb-TAgC&pg=PA47}}</ref> In his [[San Giovenale Triptych]], the Italian Renaissance artist [[Masaccio]] copied the full Shahada, written backwards, on the halo of the [[Madonna (art)|Madonna]].<ref name="Contadini"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Mediterranean Crossroads: Migration Literature in Italy|author= Graziella Parati|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press|year= 1999|page=13|isbn= 9780838638132|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J7AVPOmOMnIC&pg=PA13}}</ref>

== Usage on flags ==
{{Further|Islamic flags|Black Standard}}
[[File:Flag of Jihad.svg|thumb|250px|right|[[Jihadist flag|Jihadist variation]] of the [[Black Standard]] as used by various [[Islamism|Islamist organisations]] since the late 1990s, which consists of the ''Shahada'' in white script centered on a black background]]

The ''Shahada'' is found on some [[Islamic flags]]. For an example [[Wahhabism|Wahhabis]] have used the Shahada on their flags since the 18th century.<ref name=firefly>{{cite book|author=Firefly Books|title=Firefly Guide to Flags of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FsxaAAAAYAAJ|year=2003|publisher=Firefly Books|isbn=978-1-55297-813-9|access-date=19 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618174628/https://books.google.com/books?id=FsxaAAAAYAAJ|archive-date=18 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1902, [[Ibn Saud]], leader of the [[House of Saud]] and the future founder of [[Saudi Arabia]], added a sword to this flag.<ref name=firefly/> The modern [[Flag of Saudi Arabia]] was introduced in 1973.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saudi Arabia Flag and Description|url=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/mideast/saudiarb.htm|publisher=World Atlas|access-date=22 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622133420/http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/mideast/saudiarb.htm|archive-date=22 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Flag of Somaliland]] has a horizontal strip of green, white and red with the ''Shahada'' inscribed in white on the green strip.<ref>{{cite book|author1=James B. Minahan|title=Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups Around the World A-Z|date=30 May 2002|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=9780313076961|page=806}}</ref>

The [[flag of Afghanistan]] under the [[Taliban]] is a white flag with the ''Shahada'' inscribed in black. The various [[Black Standard#Jihadist black flag|jihadist black flags]] used by Islamic insurgents since the 2000s have often followed this example. The ''Shahada'' written on a green background has been used by supporters of [[Hamas]] since about 2000. The 2004 [[2004 Constitution of Afghanistan|draft constitution of Afghanistan]] proposed a flag featuring the ''Shahada'' in white script centered on a red background. In 2006, the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] designed its flag using the ''Shahada'' phrase written in white on black background. The font used is supposedly similar to the font used as [[Seal of Muhammad|seal on the original letters written on Muhammad's behalf]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/isis-flag-apocalypse/406498/|title=How ISIS Got Its Flag|first=William|last=McCants|work=The Atlantic|date=22 September 2015|access-date=23 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123164753/http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/isis-flag-apocalypse/406498/|archive-date=23 November 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===National flags with the Shahada===
{{gallery
|align=center
|whitebg=no
|width=160 | height=170
|File:Flag of the Taliban.svg|[[Flag of Afghanistan|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]]
|File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg|[[Flag of Afghanistan#Islamic Republic tricolor|Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]
|File:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg|[[Flag of Saudi Arabia|Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]]
|File:Flag of Somaliland.svg|[[Flag of Somaliland|Republic of Somaliland]] (unrecognized)
}}

== Gallery ==
{|
| [[File:Offa king of Mercia 757 793 gold dinar copy of dinar of the Abassid Caliphate 774.jpg|thumb]]
| A [[mancus]] gold [[dinar]] of king [[Offa of Mercia]], copied from the dinars of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] (774); it includes the Arabic text "Muhammad is the Messenger of God".
|-
| [[File:Kalema-tut-shahadat.jpg|thumb]]
| The [[Qibla]] of the [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid]] caliph [[al-Mustansir Billah]] in the [[Mosque of Ibn Tulun]], [[Cairo]] showing the ''Shia shahada'' that ends with the phrase ''"'Aliyyan Waliyyullah"'' ("Ali is the vicegerent of God")
|-
| [[File:MIK - Schriftfliese.jpg|thumb]]
| The first phrase of the ''Shahada'' in [[kufic]] calligraphy (1309), [[Kashan]], Iran
|-
| [[File:The Mausoleum of Attar.jpg|thumb]]
|The ''Shia Shahada'' on the mausoleum of [[Attar of Nishapur]], Iran. The first phrase is in white, the rest in blue.
|-
| [[File:Arabic Calligraphy at Wazir Khan Mosque2.jpg|thumb]]
| Tile panel in the [[Wazir Khan Mosque]], [[Lahore]], Pakistan. The ''Shahada'' is on the top half of the panel.
|-
| [[File:Glaubenbekenntnis.jpg|thumb]]
| ''Shahadas'' written in the style of a [[Mamluk Dynasty (Delhi)|Mamluk]] ''[[tughra]]'' on the bottom right and in mirror image on bottom left
|-
| [[File:Shahada.svg|thumb]]
| The ''Shahada'' written in square [[Kufic]] script, shown as buildings topped with [[dome]]s and [[minaret]]s, with its mirror image on the left
|-
| [[File:Kalema at Bab al Nasr, Fatimid Cairo.jpg|thumb]]
| ''Shia Shahadah'' at [[Bab al-Futuh]]/[[Bab al-Nasr (Cairo)|Bab al-Nasr]], [[Fatimid]] [[Cairo]] with the phrase ''ʿAlīy walīy Allāh'' ("Ali is the vicegerent of God") at the end
|}

== See also ==

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Adhan]]
* [[Aqidah]]
* [[Bismala]]
* [[Dhikr]]
* [[Glossary of Islam]]
* [[Iqama]]
* [[Peace be upon him]]
* [[Salawat]]
* [[Shema Yisrael]]
* [[Six Kalimas]]
* [[Takbir]]
* [[Tashahhud]]
{{Div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|30em}}

=== Sources ===
* {{cite book |first=Vincent J. |last=Cornell |title=Voices of Islam |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=2007 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y_eGWvPTtikC |pages=1400 |isbn=978-0275987336 }}
* {{cite book |first=James E. |last=Lindsay |title=Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |isbn=9780313322709 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6J0WnWABM34C&q=shahada |year=2005 }}
* {{cite book |author = Arthur J. Magida |title = Opening the Doors of Wonder: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage |date = 18 October 2006 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn = 9780520941717 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=1-yQkXtrz9oC&q=shahada}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/55433066/The-Shahadah-as-Truth-and-as-Way-Samsel "The ''Shahadah'' as Truth and as Way"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108012550/https://www.scribd.com/doc/55433066/The-Shahadah-as-Truth-and-as-Way-Samsel |date=8 November 2014 }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.essaouira.nu/culture_arabic.htm|title=Arabic phrases and about Islam|publisher=Essaouira
}}

{{Islam topics |collapsed}}

[[Category:Five Pillars of Islam]]
[[Category:Statements of faith]]
[[Category:Shibboleths]]
[[Category:Islamic belief and doctrine]]
[[Category:Arabic words and phrases]]
[[Category:Islamic terminology]]
[[Category:Religious formulas]]

Shahada - Revision history

Pradeeprajput: Islamic statement of faith